Canada has continuously punched above its weight when it comes to contributions in the music and entertainment industry. With a population of 37.55 million people, Canada has produced an impressive list of musicians such as Bryan Adams, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Below is a list of some of the most talented Canadian musicians today:
1. Shawn Mendes
Just like Justin Bieber, Shawn’s journey to stardom started on the internet. With three albums already recorded, Shawn Mendes is undoubtedly one of Canada’s jewels. He has mastered the acoustic guitar and together with his passionate vocals and music writing abilities he has produced some of the world’s hit songs such as “Treat you better,” “Nothing is holding me back” and “Mercy”. Recently he has released “Hold on” and “If I can’t have you.”
2. Drake
Thanks to Drake, Canada was put on the hip-hop map. He has grown to be one of the most influential and biggest-selling rap stars in the world. He co-founded the October’s Very Own (OVO) Sound which is a Toronto-based record label named after his birth month. He has also played an instrumental role in introducing the Weeknd- his fellow Canadian to the music world.
3. Justin Bieber
Justin rose to fame at the age of 13 after Scooter Braun discovered him on YouTube and Usher Raymond signed him to the Island Def Jam Records. Born and raised in Ontario, Justin showed interest in music at a younger age. He was listed among the ten most powerful celebrities in the world by Forbes magazine. He is the voice behind some of the most popular songs in the world such as Sorry, What do you mean?’ and Confident.
4. Bryan Adams
Outside Canada, Bryan is known for his hard hits in the 80s and 90s. He has produced records such as ‘Cuts like a knife’, and ‘Summer of 69’. The hit ‘Everything I do, I do it for you’ dominated the 90s and is still the longest unbroken record in the UK Singles Chart. With a talent for writing music and his recognizable raspy voice, Bran Adams is one of the most cherished musicians by Canadians.
5. Avril Lavigne
Dubbed as the Pop Punk Queen of the world, Avril realized her talent and love for music at a young age. Her parents converted their basement into a studio to encourage their young daughter to pursue music. At just 15, this Ontario-native singer won a contest to perform with Shania Twain in front of 20,000 people. She released her song Complicated by the age of 17 which was nominated for a Grammy.
6. The Weeknd
The Weeknd whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye is a Juno and grammy award-winning songwriter and musician. He rose to stardom in 2010 through YouTube where he uploaded some of his R&B and pop tunes. From 2010-2014, the Weeknd became the first artist to hold first three positions on the R&B billboard list simultaneously. Some of these top songs on the mainstream pop include ‘Earned it’, ‘Starboy’ and ‘The Hills’.
